MeinMMO author Ody has already spent nearly 100 hours in The Forest and its sequel, Sons of the Forest, on Steam However, he was surprised by what the developers showcased at the Game Awards 2025 for their new game.
If Endnight Studios, the creators of The Forest, are good at one thing, it’s creating atmospheric survival horror games and grotesque body horror. If there’s one thing they can’t do, it’s finding coherent names for these games (which are part of a series):
Instead of announcing The Forest 3 or something like “Grandsons of the Forest” at the Game Awards 2025, they simply come out with Forest 3.
I’ve spent around 100 hours in both previous installments felling trees to build bases where I was (somewhat) safe from the cannibals and mutants of the forest.
I have completed both predecessors at least once, usually in co-op with friends. Not only that, but I even watched some lore videos, as it’s quite easy to miss. Still, I wasn’t expecting that for a third Forest game.
Here you can see the trailer for Forest 3, which was shown at the Game Awards:
The Forest ventures into sci-fi territory
At the beginning of the announcement trailer, we are no longer simply sitting in a plane or helicopter – we aren’t even on Earth. We are in the cockpit of a spaceship. Above our head, a robotic arm reaches down, allowing our character to grab a package of futuristic cereal with a blinking wrapper.
Our spaceship is currently en route to Earth but, due to a malfunction, shoots way past the target. We crash-land (again), this time on a – at least seemingly – alien planet. This one resembles our Earth but is inhabited by strange creatures.
Some new mutants are also already visible. The developers haven’t held back with these either. Forest 3 is likely to deliver disturbing body horror once again.
By the way, we also get to keep the futuristic robotic arm from the intro in the game. With it, we reach for objects or small creatures. Additionally, we see a new firearm: a pistol that shoots a plasma-like substance.
Overall, as a Forest veteran, I was quite surprised by the announcement and especially by the new setting. At the same time, I think it’s an experiment that could certainly succeed. I, for one, wouldn’t mind pulling out the axe again – or whatever alternative the developers come up with for the future.
Did you expect a new Forest game? If so, feel free to tell us what you think of the trailer. On Friday, December 12, 2025, a major recap talk will take place on the GameStar Twitch channel regarding the new announcements. MyMMO editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski will also be there: Find Your Next Game 2026: Recap Talk with the MeinMMO Editor-in-Chief and Deep Dives into the new games
